1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiplex storing apparatus for a digital still camera, and in particular to an improved multiplex storing apparatus for a digital still camera which is capable of storing a currently pictured image into a semiconductor memory device irrespective of a horizontal and vertical picturing when picturing an object using a digital still camera.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Generally, the digital still camera is directed to a camera capable of picturing an object, storing the thusly pictured image into a compression storing memory such as a semiconductor memory device, and transmitting and receiving an image data between the camera and a computer. Lately, the digital still camera has become small-sized and light for easier handling.
The above-described digital camera converts an image data input through a lens into an electrical signal using an optical/electrical conversion device such as a CCD(Charge Coupled Device) and electrically processes the data for a storing and reproducing operation. Thereafter, the thusly processed data are stored into a compression storing memory for thereby transmitting and receiving the data using the computer.
Therefore, the image data pictured by the digital still camera is stored into the computer for increasing the storage capacity of the digital camera. Further, the digital still camera may be controlled using the computer.
Lately, the above-described still camera has received peoples"" attention as the use of the computer is increased.
Therefore, it is possible to edit the pictured images on a screen of a computer display apparatus, make an internet home page or a presentation document, and output the edited images using an output apparatus such as a printer. In addition, the processed data may be stored in a hard disk or a compact disc.
In the digital still camera, a darkroom work and a chemical process are not needed for developing an image. In addition, it is possible to directly check the pictured object. Since the stored image information is electrically processed, the camera is connected with the computer. The image data may be edited in the computer and may be transmitted to a predetermined apparatus. Thus, the digital still camera is widely applicable.
For example, it is possible to make an internet home page using the images pictured by the digital still camera by connecting to the internet, and various reports may be easily made by inserting the pictured images thereinto. The data of a commemorative photo pictured for a school graduation or wedding ceremony may be used for an electronic album or may be stored into a disk.
FIGS. 1A through 1C illustrate a storing method based on a horizontal and vertical picturing of a conventional digital still camera.
As shown therein, when the image pictured using the digital still camera is stored into the semiconductor memory device, the data from the left uppermost pixels R1C1 to the right lowermost pixels RnCn as shown in. FIG. 1A are read and stored irrespective of the picturing state of the horizontal and vertical picturing of the camera.
Therefore, when picturing in the horizontal state of the digital still camera, the state that the object is viewed through the camera, the state of the image temporarily stored in the memory, and the state that the image is stored in the compression storing memory are all the same.
However, when picturing in the vertical state of the digital still camera, as shown in FIG. 1C, the state of the image temporarily stored in the memory and the state of the image which is stored in the compression storing memory are the states that the images are rotated at an angle of 90xc2x0 compared to the images viewed through the camera.
Namely, in the case that the object is pictured in the vertical state, the images stored in the compression storing memory are viewed in a 90xc2x0 rotated state.
Therefore, when picturing the objects using the conventional digital still camera, since the pictured images are stored into the semiconductor memory device in accordance with a predetermined format irrespective of the horizontal or vertical picturing, when editing the pictured images by connecting the digital still camera and the computer, the images pictured in the vertical state needs to be normally rotated since the images are stored in the rotated state, thereby causing much inconvenience.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multiplex storing apparatus for a digital sill camera which is capable of storing a currently pictured image into a semiconductor memory device irrespective of a horizontal or vertical picturing when picturing a predetermined object using a digital still camera.
In order to achieve the above objects, there is provided a multiplex storing apparatus for a digital still camera which includes a CCD(Charge Coupled Device) for converting an image signal of an object inputted through a lens unit into an electrical, signal, a CDS(corelated Double Sampling)/AGC(Automatic Gain Control) for removing noises from the electrical signal input from the CCD and automatically amplifying and controlling the gains of the signals for uniformly outputting the signals even when the level of the image signals are varied, an A/D(Analog/Digital) converter for converting an analog image signal inputted from the CDS/AGC into a digital image signal, a memory for temporarily storing an image information of one(1) frame which is converted into the digital image signal by the A/D converter, a camera position detector for detecting a degree of tilt of the digital still camera and judging the horizontal and vertical picturing state of the digital still camera, a controller for outputting a control signal by which the entire operation of the digital still camera is controlled, and pictured images stored in the memory are compressed and stored in a horizontally or vertically pictured state without any changes in their size in accordance with the horizontal and vertical picturing state of the digital still camera detected by the camera position detector, a compression processor for compressing the pictured images stored in the memory in accordance with a control of the controller, and a compression storing memory for sequentially storing the image signals compressed by the compression processor in accordance with a control of the controller.
In addition, the controller outputs a control signals by which the data from the left uppermost pixels to the right lower pixels of the images stored in the memory are sequentially stored in the case of the horizontal picturing state as a result of the detection by the camera position detector, and by which the data from the left lowermost pixels to the right uppermost pixels stored in the memory are sequentially stored in the case of the vertical picturing state as a result of the detection by the camera position detector.
Additional advantages, objects and other features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims as a result of the experiment compared to the conventional arts.